Athletes in Action

THE HIGH JU:\IP. WESTERN ROLL (5) To complete the lay-out, and to carry on the roll, the jumper snaps the left leg in close to the right and straightens the body with a jerk, just as it appears about to hit the bar. At the same instant the left arm is snapped back again towards the thigh, from the shoulder-level position, seen in Fig. 4· This action serves to draw the left shoulder down and over the bar, the left (lower) leg is bent back from the !..nee, and as the lower leg comes to a position at right angles to its own thigh, as shown in Fig. 5 opposite, both feet arc straightened out from the ankles with a violent flick. At the same time the head is turned from right to left as shown, to further aid and guide the roll of the body across the bar. The completion of the body-turn finishes the roll across the bar, by the back kick of the left heel, and the simultaneous pointing of the toes of both feet, as shown opposite, in a sort of twisting leg-kick, and, at once, the left foot drops towards the pit to catch the athlete as he lands on the same foot as that from which the spring was rnade. From great heights the landing ·will be, ho·wever, on the left foot and the palms of the hands. Success in this style can be achieved only by constant, painstaking practice at heights one can be sure of clearing. Every little point must be mastered carefully : have your work checked constantly by means of snapshots and, above all, strive to build up a sense of timing, which is a special " sixth " sense possessed by all great jumpers . ..... t-) "\,()